Step 1: Find at least 6 Sources
 First use the Web Catalog to find BOOKS in the library
o Go to the Quaker Valley Middle School homepage.
Scroll down and click on “Library Resource Page”
o Click on “Find a Book”
o Type in the subject you are looking for and click
“keyword”
o Sections in the library
 Section 900 History, 973 U.S. History
 Section Q900: Oversize History Books
 Section 300: Social Sciences
 Section 92: Biography
 Second use EBSCO to find articles
o Go to the Quaker Valley Middle School homepage.
Scroll down and click on “Library Resource Page”
o Click on “EBSCOHost”
o Choose Masterfile, Middle Search Plus, and Historical
Reference
o Click Full Text
o Type in key words; be sure to separate key words with
“and”
 Third use Google
o Good Sites end in: .org .edu .gov
o Questionable sites end in: .com .net
 DO NOT use Wikipedia or sites that do not have
an author/person responsible for the site’s content
Step 2: Writing Bibliography Info
 Once you find a source, you want to write down the
bibliography information of your source
 All of this information can be found on the title page of the
book (first few pages inside the cover), or on the information
page in the EBSCO search
o Turn to Page 7 of your Quaker Valley Research
Manual to find the format for how to write the
bibliography information of your source
SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY SHEET
Source Number: ____
Bibliography info: _____________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Source Number: ____
Bibliography info: _____________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Step 3: Take Notes on your Sources
 Once you find a source, you should begin taking notes on the
information that you read in your source.
 You choose how you want to take notes; You can use several
different note-taking techniques:
o Note Sheets
o Notecards
 There are several things you MUST do when taking notes:
o Write down the name of the source and the page
number each time you are taking notes. This will
help you to stay organized and keep track of which
information came from which page of a source
o PUT ALL INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN
WORDS!!!!!
o If you choose to take something word for word out
of the book, you must put QUOTATIONS around
the sentences you take from the book.
SAMPLE NOTE SHEET / NOTE CARD
Name of Source: ______________________________
Page Number: _______
Notes: _______________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Step 4: Create an Outline
 Once you gather information, you want to begin grouping the
information that is related
 You must “chunk” your notes into groups that will become
main points for your paper
 Let’s say your thesis is this:
o John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy that did not
involved Lee Harvey Oswald.
 You would begin to “chunk” or group the information into
groups that help support or prove your question:
Sample Kennedy Assassination Outline
o Background information
o Video and Photographic Evidence
 Facts
 Analysis
o Medical Evidence
 Facts
 Analysis
o Ballistics / Gun Evidence
 Facts
 Analysis
Step 5: Rough Draft
 In the rough draft, you will want to focus on the MAIN
POINTS in your outline. The main points in your outline
will become the BODY PARAGRAPHS in your rough draft.
 You must have 4-5 MAIN POINTS in your rough draft.
Depending on how much information you have on each
point, you will have more paragraphs on some points than on
other points.
EXAMPLE MAIN POINT PARAGRAPHS
 First Main Point
o Paragraph Structure
 Topic Sentence
 3-5 Facts & Analysis
 Concluding Sentence
 Second Main Point
o Paragraph Structure
 Topic Sentence
 3-5 Facts & Analysis
 Concluding Sentence
 Third Main Point
o Paragraph Structure
 Topic Sentence
 3-5 Facts & Analysis
 Concluding Sentence
Step 6: Citations
 CITATIONS are extremely important in the rough draft;
they show the person reading the paper where you got the
information you are writing about.
 ALL CITATION INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON
YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY SHEET AND/OR NOTE
SHEETS.
 In each main point paragraph, you must use CITATIONS.
o EACH TIME YOU USE INFORMATION
FROM A SOURCE IN YOUR PAPER, YOU
MUST CITE IT.
o EACH TIME YOU CHANGE FROM ONE
SOURCE TO ANOTHER SOURCE, YOU
MUST CITE IT.
o At the end of the sentence, use this format:
(AUTHOR’S LAST NAME, PAGE NUMBER).
EXAMPLE CITATIONS (in bold and underlined)
In the presidential election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and
Aaron Burr were tied with 73 votes each in the Electoral College
(Smith, 79). If two candidates receive the same number of votes,
the election is then taken to the House of Representatives (85). As
a result, Thomas Jefferson was elected President by the House of
Representatives and Aaron Burr then became Vice-President
(Jones, 256).
Step 6: In-Text Citations
When citing your sources, there are different ways to cite
different sources, called parenthetical documentation.
1. Book (one author):
(Author’s Last Name, Page Number).
(Smith, 98).
2. Book (more than one author):
(First Author’s Last Name, et. al, Page Number).
(Jones, et. al, 157).
3. Reference book:
(Article Title, Page Number).
(“Civil War,” 543).
4. Periodical / Magazine:
(Author’s Last Name, Page Number).
(Jones, 17).
5. Book or Article (no author):
(Book / Article Title, Page Number).
(The Sinking of the Titanic, 275).
6. Web Site (with author):
(Author’s Last Name)
(Rockefeller)
7. Web Site (no author):
(Name of the Website)
(“Stories of Holocaust Survivors”).
Step 7: Revising your Rough Draft
 Revising is one of the most critical skills that you can
learn from writing a large paper like this. The reason
we write a rough draft is so that you can REVISE it, or
make changes to it, so that your final paper is mistake
free.
 After you write your rough draft, you will get it back
with comments from the teacher. Based on your own
reading of the paper and the teacher comments, you
should make revisions or additions to the following
areas of your paper:
o Paragraph Structure
 Main Points & Details
o Sentence Structure
o Content
 Body Paragraphs
 Analysis of Facts & Information
o Citations
 Correct Format & Correct Citations
 AFTER REVISING YOUR PAPER, YOU SHOULD BE
YOUR SURE THAT IT IS MISTAKE FREE.
Step 8: FINAL PAPER
The final paper structure is as follows:
1. Title Page
a. See Sample Title Page (next pages)
2. Page Numbers (bottom right hand corner)
3. Introduction Paragraph
a. Catch Sentence to open your paper
b. Background information on your topic
c. Thesis Statement
4. First Main Point Paragraphs
a. Evidence & Analysis
5. Second Main Point Paragraphs
a. Evidence & Analysis
6. Third Main Point Paragraphs
a. Evidence & Analysis
7. Fourth Main Point Paragraphs
a. Evidence & Analysis
8. Fifth Main Point Paragraphs
a. Evidence & Analysis
This is new
material that
was NOT in
your rough
draft
Main Points
From Rough
Draft
9. Conclusion
This is new
a. State conclusions based on main points
material that
b. Remind your reader of the points that you are was NOT in
using in your paper to prove your thesis
your rough
draft
10.
Bibliography Page
a. See Sample Bibliography Page (next pages)
Step 8: Sample Title Page
Title Page is Double Spaced. Follow the format below.
Conspiracy or Magic Bullet:
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Name
Applied Social Studies
Mr. Long
20 February 2009
Step 8: Sample Bibliography Page
 ALL SOURCES YOU GATHERED in alphabetical order
 Single Space each entry; Double Space in between
 Follow format below
Bibliography
Anderson, Rich. “The United States Army in World War II: Engineers.” Military
History Online. (4 December 2004).
<http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/engineers.aspx> (30
January 2005).
Fowle, Barry W. Builders and Fighters: U.S. Army Engineers in World War II.
Fort Belvoir, VA: United States Army Corps of Engineers, 1992.
Hall, Walter. Veteran’s Oral History Project. Morse Institute Library, 16 April
2002.
Hechler, Ken. Holding the Line: The 51st Engineer Combat Battalion and the
Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945. Fort Belvoir, VA:
Office of History, United States Army Corps of Engineers, 1988.
Higginbotham, Emery. “Those Were the Days: Choice defines World War II
experience for Army Engineer.” The Charleston Gazette. 23 January 2004,
8.
Loftesness, Carl J. World War II History of the 132nd Engineer Combat Battalion.
South Dakota State University, 1947.
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